Golden Opportunity

This evening was our monthly Face to Face Book Club meeting. Tonight we discussed Gold by Chris Cleave.

Among other themes, the book focuses on the ultimate test of a mother's love. If your dreams pull you in one direction and your heart in another, which should you follow? This is the question that haunts main character Kate Meadows, a world champion cyclist whose eight-year-old daughter Sophie is battling a recurrence of childhood leukemia just as Kate is about to compete for her last chance at an Olympic gold medal.

For years, Kate has sacrificed everything for her family and watched her best friend and closest rival, Zoe Castle (the other main character), conquer the world stage. Kate has never won gold and will have to go through Zoe—who has everything to lose—to get it. Now her child is facing a life-threatening illness, and the stakes are higher than ever. How can she do what is right for her daughter without abandoning all of her dreams?

Since the book centered on the competition of cycling, my neighbor Cindy and I decided it was the golden opportunity to dust off our bicycles and pedal to book club. Good thing we've had all this Olympic training while reading the book so we could make it the 1.7 miles to the hostess' home!

Whew.

Then to have to bike all the way back home when it was done? We deserve gold medals!

Actually, it was nice to wheel around and get some exercise at the same time. Not enough to burn off the cupcake calories from the meeting, but a start. Is it too late to get some use out of our bikes this late in the summer?

Hopefully not. Actually after this heat wave blows by sometime early next week, it might be ideal. Except it's already getting dark earlier and I am out of shape and do have a laundry list of excuses in my fanny pack.

Whoa. I do not have one of those. Just checking if you are still paying attention!

By the way, I do recommend the book. It's a good story that is not as predictable as you might think. Plenty of plot twists and lump-in-your-throat moments. And it is a good reminder as a parent of what we sometimes sacrifice (or don't) for our children. When do we deserve "gold" for our hard work and when should we re-examine our priorities? And can we have both?

You decide.

Just like real life, the book illustrates why it's not a cut-and-dried decision.

I guess we take the golden opportunities while we can. Even pedaling 3.4 miles with a friend can be a win-win.

Even though I crossed the finish line first. But who's keeping score...